Grizzlies-Bucks Preview

By KEVIN CHROUSTPosted Jan 15 2014 1:39AM

The Memphis Grizzlies are getting healthy, winners of three straight and on the verge of returning to .500 for the first time in over a month.

After a trying December, the Grizzlies are 5-2 in the new year, and things are looking up as they head to Milwaukee on Wednesday night to take on the NBA-worst Bucks.

With Marc Gasol back in the lineup for the first time in seven weeks, the Grizzlies (18-19) completed a 3-1 homestand Tuesday with a 90-87 win over Oklahoma City. The big man scored 12 points in 24 minutes after missing 23 games with a sprained MCL. The Grizzlies went 10-13 without him and are 8-5 in games he's completed.

"I got the goose bumps for about a minute or two minutes," Gasol told the team's official website. "I felt like I was a rookie again, even better than that. Today was a special day for me, but we move on. Right now, we're thinking about Milwaukee."

Fellow post presence Zach Randolph had 23 points and 13 rebounds, while recently acquired Courtney Lee led the way with 24 points in his second start. He's averaging 19.5 points in two starts and 14.8 in four games since coming over from Boston on Jan. 7.

Backcourt mate Mike Conley added 19 points and is averaging 25.3 since the Lee acquisition, though the focus was on Gasol, last season's Defensive Player of the Year.

"Everybody is excited, especially for him," Conley said. "He's been itching to get out there forever, and I thought he did great. It gave us a good boost."

Memphis remains without guard Tony Allen, who has missed five straight games with a sprained left wrist.

Milwaukee (7-30) has lost six straight by an average of 15.5 points to start 2014 after Monday's 116-94 loss at Toronto.

"They played a much more physical game than we did and we just didn't respond to it," Bucks coach Larry Drew said.

The Bucks got John Henson back in a limited role after he missed seven games with a sprained left ankle, but it didn't much matter as their shooting woes continued. They've shot 38.0 percent in their last four, averaging 82.8 points in that time.

"Coming into this game, one of the things we talked about was trying to control the tempo of the game," Drew said. "Right off the bat, first quarter, we had seven turnovers. I think they just about capitalized on every turnover that we had."

It doesn't get any easier with Memphis coming to town. The Grizzlies have won five straight against the Bucks, holding them to 36.9 percent shooting in two victories last season. Milwaukee is 1-10 against the Western Conference, while Memphis is 7-4 against the East with its only road loss coming at Indiana.

Copyright 2014 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Grizzlies win 4th straight, get back to .500

By DAVE BOEHLERPosted Jan 15 2014 11:42PM

MILWAUKEE (AP) Memphis coach David Joerger was not only happy with the win, but proud of the way his Grizzlies earned it.

Mike Conley and reserve James Johnson each scored 15 points, and Ed Davis added 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting to go with nine rebounds in Memphis' 82-77 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.

The Grizzlies have won a season-high four straight.

"A couple of weeks ago we don't pull this game out," Joerger said. "I'm proud of the growth that we've made. That's a happy locker room."

Johnson scored eight straight points in the fourth quarter to go with four of his season-high six blocks, as Memphis improved to 19-19 and returned to the .500 mark for the first time since Dec. 9 (10-10).

"They put me in to bring energy," Johnson said. "I felt like we weren't getting enough fast-break points and defensive stops. That's what I did. I filled the gap. I was ready for whatever came my way."

The Grizzlies also won for the ninth time in 13 games despite no points in 14 minutes from Marc Gasol. It was the second game in two days for the NBA's reigning Defensive Player of the Year after he missed 23 contests with a left MCL sprain. He had 12 points in 24 minutes Tuesday against Oklahoma City.

"Marc Gasol has some of the best hands I've ever seen," Joerger said. "To watch balls fall off of his hands, that wasn't him. It was very emotional (Tuesday). He's had to be very patient. He's a team guy and gave us everything he had, but it was just one of those nights."

Brandon Knight scored 27 points on 10-for-17 shooting for Milwaukee, which lost its seventh consecutive game.

A layup by Conley gave Memphis a 78-67 lead with 3:47 remaining before Milwaukee answered with an 8-0 run. Two free throws from Knight trimmed the Grizzlies' lead to 78-75 with 1:44 left.

Memphis got a basket from Courtney Lee, but Milwaukee immediately responded with a layup from Larry Sanders to trim the Grizzlies' lead to 80-77 with 1:08 to go.

Memphis then missed its next four shots, including three on one possession to give Milwaukee a chance. But Sanders missed a game-tying 3-point attempt - the fifth of his career and first this season - from the top of the arc with 2 seconds left and the Grizzlies held on.

"The play was for me to get it at the top, hopefully looking for an open 3, or just something where I had an opportunity to get a shot off," said Knight, who made five 3-pointers. "It wasn't what we were looking for. I think they did a good job taking away our best options. If we could go back and do it over, we would all do it differently, of course."

Milwaukee coach Larry Drew said the play was designed for Sanders to set screens. But Knight was forced to pass him the ball thanks to the defense by Memphis.

"We didn't execute the play," Drew said. "He's not a 3-point shooter and he should never be in that position. Had we executed the play, we would've gotten a shot from one of three other guys. He was not an option the last play of the game."

Memphis scored the first 12 points of the final quarter and forced Milwaukee to miss its first 10 shots to beat the Bucks for the sixth straight time.

A tip-in by Davis tied the score at 60 with 11:12 to go and then Johnson scored eight consecutive points. After a dunk and two layups, Johnson stole the ball from John Henson for another dunk to give his team a 68-60 lead. A follow dunk by Davis capped the run and put the Grizzlies up 70-60 with 6:32 to play.

"(Johnson) is athletic," Davis said. "He's everywhere. He's active and always hustling. He's going to do all the little things. ... He's been a great addition for us and is helping us a lot."

Milwaukee struggled mightily in the beginning, missing 16 straight shots in a span of 10:05. The Bucks clanked their final 13 field goal attempts of the opening quarter, and their 10 first-period points equaled their lowest total of any quarter this season.

But Memphis' halftime lead was only 42-35 after Milwaukee scored the final seven points of the second quarter.

Notes: Memphis also won four games in a row Nov. 15-20. ... Milwaukee was held to just 10 points in the first quarter Saturday at Oklahoma City. ... Lee finished with nine points, one day after scoring a season-high 24 against the Thunder. Milwaukee's Ersan Ilyasova also had a season-high 29 points Monday at Toronto. Against Memphis, he managed only four points on 2-of-11 shooting. ... Milwaukee is 3-15 at home and 1-11 overall against the Western Conference.

Copyright 2014 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Notebook: Grizzlies 82, Bucks 77

THE FACT: With their fourth straight win, the Grizzlies got back to .500 for the first time since Dec. 9.

THE LEAD:James Johnson scored eight points during a 12-0 run to open the fourth quarter, as the Memphis Grizzlies gutted out an 82-77 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Johnson, signed out of the Developmental League a month ago, finished with 15 points, six rebounds, six blocked shots, five assists and two steals as the Grizzlies (19-19) won their fourth straight and ninth in their last 13 games. Mike Conley added 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Brandon Knight scored 27 to lead Milwaukee (7-31), which lost its seventh straight game.

QUOTABLE: "I've been able to get to them, luckily, using my athleticism and timing people's jump shot at the top."-- Johnson, who had four of his six blocks in the fourth quarter.

THE STAT: The Bucks shot just 37.8 percent (31 for 82) and were done in by streaks of 15 straight misses in the first quarter and 12 straight misses spanning the last minute of the third quarter and the first 5:30 of the fourth quarter.

TURNING POINT: The Bucks trailed by as many as 14 in the second quarter, but rallied to take a 60-58 lead entering the fourth quarter. To that point, the Grizzlies had just five points off 13 Milwaukee turnovers. But Johnson scored six points off three Milwaukee miscues in the opening 4 and 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter during the decisive 12-0 run.

QUOTABLE II: "That is an effort stat. It really is. At halftime we had forced 10 turnovers and created three points off them. When the other team turns it over, it's like jail break, right. 'Let's go! Let's go!'"-- Memphis coach Dave Joerger on the Grizzlies turning turnovers into points in the fourth quarter.

NOT: After making 11-of-16 shots for a season-high 29 points on Monday, Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova was just 2-for-11.

INSIDE THE ARENA: The attendance was announced as 11,379, but there were considerably fewer actually on hand.

GOOD MOVE: Joerger would normally come back with Marc Gasol in the fourth quarter, but with Gasol struggling in just his second game back from a knee injury, Joerger stuck with Johnson, who had a monster quarter.

BAD MOVE: The Bucks had a chance to tie in the closing seconds, but the only player they could get open was center Larry Sanders, whose 3-pointer with 5 seconds left bounced off the back of the rim. Sanders has not made a 3-pointer in five career attempts.

ROOKIE WATCH: Bucks first-round pick Giannis Antetokounmpo was plagued by early foul trouble and finished with six points, one rebound and one assist.

NOTABLE: Guard O.J. Mayo, who was the Bucks' leading scorer over the first eight weeks of the season, played just 6 1/2 minutes -- none in the second half. ... The Bucks had three players with double-figures in rebounds -- Sanders (12), Ilyasova (13) and John Henson (13). ... Bench players scored 18 of the Grizzlies' 24 fourth-quarter points. ... Bucks forward Khris Middleton sprained his ankle in practice on Tuesday and did not start. He did come in off the bench but made just 1 of 6 shots and is 6 for 35 over his last four games. ... Memphis has won the last six games in the series with the Bucks, holding Milwaukee under 100 in each of the six games. ... Memphis went on a 24-3 run after falling behind, 8-1.